Why me?
by ValeriusCorvinus
Summary: Ever wonder all the different things you could do with one power?
1. Prologue

DISCLAIMER: I do not own the X-men or any other marvel components. I do, however, own my character.  
  
~~~~~~~  
  
I could tell as soon as I woke up that something wasn't right. Something was, I don't know...different. But, like an idiot, I still went to school. My alarm hadn't gone off (of course, it didn't have anything to do with the fact that I hadn't turned it on to begin with) so I was a little late, having only enough time to throw some randomly chosen clothes on and rush out the door to catch the bus. Late on the first day back. Now that's funny (actually it's kind of sad).  
  
As usual, I took up a seat next to the only one of my friends who lives by me, Hillary Shannon. Yeah, I know what you're thinking - interesting name isn't it? You'd almost expect her to be a movie star or something - maybe a First Lady (ha, ha). Flustered and out of breath from my sprint, I flopped down beside her to rummage through my backpack, not even noticing her staring at me until she finally spoke up.  
  
"Oh my god, Keira! I love what you did to your hair! And your contacts! They're, like, amazing! We have to go somewhere tonight - just to show off!" she burst out, bubbly excitement registering on her features, replacing what I can only guess was shock. Dumbfounded, I just looked at her.  
  
"What'd I do?" I asked, suddenly getting the feeling that she was about to make a very snide observation of my disheveled appearance. I regarded her incredulously, trying to put up a front. Sometimes, I have to admit, she can be a bit bitchy and it gets annoying, but what can I do? She is my single friend for nearly a twenty-mile radius. Then, for probably the first time in my life, I had a stroke of genius - or something close to it, anyway (come on, give me a break, we're talking about the dumbest girl in the world, here). "Hey, you got a mirror I can borrow? I kinda didn't have enough time to comb my hair this morning - or anything else for that matter."  
  
"I can tell!" She giggled, pointing at my rumpled t-shirt and tight jeans - full of holes, mind you - as she handed over her compact. Choosing to ignore that last comment, I snatched it from her in mock fury and started fidgeting with my dark brown hair - only to find that it had a violet streak in it! A vivid, gaudy, bluish pink...purple!  
  
I gasped, realizing that my eyes were the exact same color (at least they weren't poop brown any more, but still). The only comforting thing being that my entire head wasn't that semi-repulsive bright amethyst, but a lighter brown, almost blond. I had to admit, the two colors did look stunning together, but purple? Never in my life would I have chosen that color to dye my hair - eh...wait a minute. I didn't dye my hair. What the hell? Something's not right at all. Slowly, my thoughts returned to the special I'd watched on CNN the night before and a sickening feeling began to settle in the bottom of my stomach, pressing on my chest making it harder to breathe. For being stupid, my psyche put two and two together pretty fast. If I didn't contribute to my makeover, then...that must mean that - uh, oh...  
  
I'm a mutant. 


	2. Dis and Discovery

DISCLAIMER: I do not own any part of Marvel, I am simply playing with their toys. What's mine is mine.  
  
~~~~~  
  
As soon as we pull up in front of the school, I race off the bus to the bathroom, promptly throwing up everything I'd eaten the day before in the porcelain bowl, known to me at the current moment as 'savior.' I gulp in air, desperately trying to repress the fresh wave of nausea that strikes me upon rising.  
  
"First day jitters, huh?" I glance up sharply to lock eyes with a tall girl dressed all in black leaning against the stall door. She's wearing a red and black senior letter jacket and her short hair is sticking up in all directions, flecks of red sprouting here and there. Great, just what I need. Someone two grades ahead, coming to pick on me.  
  
I shove past her roughly, heading to the sink. She obliges by shifting out of my way. Ignoring her, although keenly aware of her presence behind me, I splash water on my face, wiping excess off with paper towels. A quick glance in the mirror at my horrid façade tells me that she's still there. So I turn around, finally giving her the time of day she apparently wants.  
  
"Look," I say, leaning my butt up against the countertop and folding my arms across my chest, looking at my watch for emphasis, "I'm a sophomore, not a freshman and I have to get to class. So, if you don't mind..." I push off and start towards the door. Just as I'm about to leave, she thrusts her arm in my face, blocking the exit. I stop abruptly and glare at her.  
  
"Hey," she spit at me, eyes flashing red with anger. Disconcerted, I take a step away from her, glancing right and left, searching for help. "Why are you being such a hard-ass? I'm just trying to be friendly." Adopting a new resolve once I realize no one's here to come to my aid, I stare back at her, straightening my back.  
  
"And I'm just trying to get to class. So if you'd excuse me..." With all the strength I can muster (I'm a little on the small side - mostly because I'm so thin), I push her in the opposite direction I'm intending to go. Satisfied at hearing a small pop and seeing her wince in pain as she grabs her arm, cradling it to her body, I walk out the door. Her face shifts back to nonchalance (with an edge) and she squares her shoulders at my back.  
  
"I know what you are."  
  
Reflexively, I stiffen, but continue to the classroom across the hall. According to my schedule, my first class of the day is Health - the easiest subject in the world. As soon as the door swings shut behind me, I let out a deep sigh and sit down in a desk back-and-center. My relief is short-lived, however, because a few seconds later, who else to enter the room, but the gothic senior herself. Spotting me, she smirks and makes her way to the chair one seat over and up from me. Sitting down, she swivels to face the front and completely disregards me. I lean my head back against the chalkboard and close my eyes.  
  
The bell rings and I resume attention, sitting up to see a blond chick seated in front of me, talking to the goth. I roll my eyes and look around the room to see if anyone I know is in here. No such luck. The teacher - Mr. Evans, the writing on the black board states - enters the room and perches on the very edge of his desk, holding a rather thick binder.  
  
"All right, class," he called out, pronouncing each word clearly and in a rich, deep voice as though he were teaching a foreign language. "Welcome to Health, 101. This year, you will be learning how we reproduce - not that you don't already know how and no doubt experimented with." He gets a few nervous chuckles out of that and I blush slightly. "But first, roll." And he proceeds to read off names from a paper, making various notes here and there about who knows what. I tune out a little, entering my own world as I wait for my name.  
  
"Somersby, Keira."  
  
"Yo." I jolt upright from a slouching position. I thought my last name was further down the list. Listening for a few seconds, I come to the conclusion he's not going in order. I'm guessing it keeps people awake during an otherwise deathly boring period of time.  
  
"Smith, Tabitha." Closely, I regard the girl sitting in front of me as she acknowledges him.  
  
"Call me Boom-boom." A grin spreads across her face and he laughs lightly.  
  
"All right, then. Maximoff, Wanda."  
  
"Yeah, I'm here." Startled, I look at the goth. She blows a large pink bubble and slouches back in her chair, daring him to reprimand her.  
  
"By the way, are you in any relation to a certain varsity basketball player?" he asks. She rolls her eyes and pops the mini balloon. Too bad it didn't get stuck all over her face.  
  
"Unfortunately." Tabitha, oh excuse me, Boom-boom cracks up and starts tearing at the eyes in laughter at that. Okay, seriously now. If you get that hyper, common sense should tell you not to drink caffeine. It wasn't that funny.  
  
The rest of the class goes by in a blur, as do the rest of my morning classes. Luckily, Wanda isn't in any of them except the first. Ah, the simple pleasures in life.  
  
Ambling, I make my way towards the cafeteria for lunch. Hillary runs up beside me.  
  
"Hey! Looks like we have at least one hour-long period together," she says, speaking of our nonexistent same class scheduling. "Wow. I still can't get over your new look! I absolutely love it!"  
  
"Thanks," I say dryly, grabbing a tray off the rack and slamming it down on the railing as I stock it with various junk foods. I love to rub it in people's faces that I can eat whatever I want and still remain (always and forever, knock on wood) a hundred pounds. She moves to join me, but appears to see another friend out of my line of vision and rushes off to talk to them. I continue on my merry way to the register and pay the required amount of six dollars. Yes, I'm a pig.  
  
Plopping my 'large' butt down on a hard plastic chair, I chow into my feast, barely acknowledging Hillary when she comes back over to eat with me. I don't notice the extra large shadow that separates in two when she pulls a chair out.  
  
"Keira, I'd like you to meet Wanda Maximoff," she says, indicating the person now sitting across from me with an 'other meaning' grin displayed on her features. I choke on a bite of chocolate cake. She gives me a mock innocent expression.  
  
"We've already met." I shove myself away from the table, chair legs sliding several feet across the floor before I can stand. Recovering some of my equilibrium, I manage to snatch my barely-touched tray from under their noses and stalk off. "I'm going to throw out the trash," I call back over my shoulder with a meaningful glare at Wanda. Ditching it, I half jog, half walk out of the cafeteria, heading towards the library. I just can't seem to get away from her. What does she want from me? What did I ever do to her to deserve her continuous presence?  
  
Rounding the corner, self absorbed in the conversation in my head, I don't pay attention to where I'm going and collide with someone very tall. Like a rubber ball, I bounce off the guy's muscled torso and sprawl across the cold tile floor. Stunned, I sit there like a moron, just staring at my assailant. Or should I say, assailants.  
  
In front of me, stand the two possibly hottest guys I have ever seen. The taller one (also the one I made physical contact with, *sigh*) has the lightest blond - almost white - hair probably in the world and his face, ohhh, it's to die for. To say nothing for his friend. Damn, he's fine. Just a little shorter, he's got medium brown hair that's a little longer than normal and a charming smile - by far one of his many very best features. I gulp.  
  
"Oh, excuse me. Sorry," the blond boy says. "My name's Pietro. What's yours?" He offers his hand to help me stand up. I struggle for words to say.  
  
"Uh...uh..." I stammer. I am such an idiot. They probably think I'm in special ed or something equally stupid. The brown-haired boy gives a sidelong glance to his friend, then steps forward.  
  
"Alvers. Lance Alvers. Nice to meet you." He pulls me to my feet and just stands there, no more than six inches in front of me for several minutes. I fidget, beginning to feel uncomfortable. "Well, are you going to tell us your name?"  
  
"Oh!" Duh. "It's Keira."  
  
"Keira? Keira Somersby?" Now it's my turn to give them weird looks as they get all excited and slap each other a quick high-five.  
  
"So...?" I am totally clueless here. Feeling like less of an imbecile now that they are the ones making idiots of themselves, I detour around them and walk into the library.  
  
"Pietro. Pietro!" Oh, no. She's found me again. Run!!! I sprint to the back corner and huddle down behind a low bookshelf. "You get away from her! I found her first and I'm going to get the credit!" Eh? Does anybody care to explain? By the way, did I mention Wanda's extremely loud? I can hear their footsteps as they all tromp into the bookroom, searching on the other side of the room (thankfully) and working their way over. Listening carefully, I discern that Tabitha has now joined them in their quest of hunting me down like an animal. Joy.  
  
Peeking out from my little cubby hole, I peer at them as they carefully inspect every single bookcase on the opposite side. Good. I think I have just enough room to squeeze by without them noticing. And I do. Of course, I do get quite a few strange looks and raised eyebrows from people as I crawl my way to the door, but I have no choice but to ignore them. And that is the way it goes the rest of the school day - them finding me with just enough room and time for me to escape. And the freedom bell rings.  
  
Praising the Lord, I race out the back doors of the school and on to the practice football field. I've already changed into a pair of loose fitting shorts for cheerleading practice. Yes, I'm one of those freaks, although it hadn't been my first choice. I'd tried out for Color Guard at the end of last year, but unfortunately didn't make it. I guess the cheerleading squad accepts anybody these days, although I admit I'm getting pretty good at this stuff.  
  
I'm a little early, so only three other people are out here already stretching. It comes as no surprise to me that it's this year's captain, Rahne Sinclair, and the two of probably many friends that are into the whole girly-sports thing (even though I wouldn't, won't, and will not ever classify this as a sport). She has her hair pulled back in two tight, spiky pigtails. The girl closest to her I think is new. She's got the brightest red-gold hair I have ever seen. She looks up suddenly, glancing around before laying her eyes to rest on me, so I look away quickly, pretending I'm tying my shoe. The other girl I have no idea what her real name is, but she's a junior who everyone calls Kitty. If I remember right, she's supposed to be dating Lance. At least, that's if the gossip chain still works. Fireworks have been exploding forever from that pairing although I'm still not sure if I understand why.  
  
By the time I get around to actually warming up, the rest of the squad is on the sidelines with us and Rahne starts to lead us in a quick jog around the field. Fun. Not really. If I'd wanted to join the track team, then I would have. So, the natural course of events would have me in last place. That is, until old Cap'n Crunch up at the very front decides to look behind her and drop back to join me. No doubt to 'motivate' me into moving my ass faster. Yeah, right. I prepare to give her one of my very best glares, but before I can serve it on a silver platter, she gives me the most sympathetic smile I have ever seen.  
  
"Something wrong today, Keira?" she asks, innocently. Her tone just makes me more on edge and I can feel the tension running through my veins. I pass someone, but my stare is locked on hers and I don't notice that I somehow start picking up the pace. Next thing I know, we're up next to the new girl, who announces herself as Jean Grey. Like I care.  
  
"No." I look away and behind me to see that three people are in the back of the pack, so I slacken again. Jean stays right with me as though we've been going the same speed all along. Rahne goes back up to the front. A natural leader, let me tell ya.  
  
"I like what you did with you hair." Is that sarcasm I detect? No, too complimentary and soft-spoken to be.  
  
"Thank you," I reply in my best monotone voice, as though I don't care. But deep inside, I do. I mean, hello, a senior - and a popular one at that (she has to be for Rahne to even give a shit about her) - takes time out of her day to compliment me? I sense her gaze as she studies my face. Now, we're nearing the bleachers again where we'll work on our routines.  
  
"Where'd you get those cool contacts?" she asks, though this time I notice an undertone to her voice, as if she were secretly trying to ask me about something else. I pull up short at the edge of the bleachers, swinging my arms slightly as I lean back to halt my forward procession. She passes me by a few steps, then turns back around to finish the conversation she apparently thinks we are having. Everyone else is doing somersaults and the splits and such.  
  
I give her the cold shoulder. "Wouldn't you love to know," I spit out and jog away to join one of my other friends, Emily. "Wassup, Emile?" I spot her as she does a handstand into a back bend. I glance up over her stomach to find Jean still staring at me, so I give her the finger and she looks away. I'm not in too good a mood today. I can't even go home for another hour and I have no idea what to make of this whole mutant business.  
  
Fifteen minutes later, our coach yells out across the various strewn bodies of the squad to inform us that we have two minutes of individual work left before we start on whole squad maneuvers. Yippee. I do a back hand spring into the splits. Standing back up, I bring my right leg up behind my head and grasp my ankle there with both hands. I can feel the stretch as I bend over and I concentrate fixedly on a rock below me to hold the position.  
  
"You know, if you need to talk, or there's anything you want to tell someone, I'm always here for you."  
  
I jolt upright, nearly finding myself in a heap on the dried grass as I look around, startled, to see who was speaking to me. To my left is Jean, half turned away now as she goes to join the rest of the team where the coach is telling us what to do. Or, in my case, what we're supposed to be doing. I sigh, resigning myself and rush to be a part of the group. Yay, we're doing a pyramid. All fifteen of us and guess who gets to be on top? Yours truly because she, 'just so happens to be lucky enough to be the smallest, skinniest person here,' in the infamous words of our coach. I hope she burns in hell for that - I'm scared of heights.  
  
So here I am, little old me, staring up about fifty (okay, I'm probably exaggerating, but it's certainly no less than twenty) feet in the air, where I'm supposed to be. Meanwhile, the coach is standing next to me, yelling into my ear to get my ass up there because the squad can't hold that position all day. My eyes trail over the team, passing Emily by until they rest on Jean, who shares yet another reassuring smile. Inside my head, I feel a comforting wave wash over me and I suddenly feel like I can do it. I take a step forward. My vision blurs. The coach yells. I practically fly up there, I move so fast. Carefully and balanced, of course. And...  
  
...I'm there! I literally feel like I'm on top of the world for a few seconds as I relish in the pure joy of my accomplishment. Then I look down. And there goes the bottom of the stack. I open my mouth to scream as I'm pitched forwards, then backwards from the shift in balance, but nothing comes out. The squad lays prostrate on the earth beneath me, holding their heads and various appendages that were damaged in their short falls. All the while I'm still falling.  
  
I squeeze my eyes shut, waiting for the solid crash of my body breaking into a thousand pieces as it slams into the ground, but the impact never comes. I open first one eye, then the other to find myself literally hovering above everyone's heads, the cheerleading squad and the football team both staring at me. Suddenly, I finish falling, air rushing out of me in a gasp as I grope at the air, trying for a handhold I know isn't there. Instead, a tiny, nearly transparent ball of shimmering light shoots out of my fingers into the sky before exceeding my speed of descent, where it flattens into a pancake on the grass beneath me. I collapse into a heap right in the center of the dazzling white flapjack - and fall through it!  
  
-- Blinking my eyes several times, I find myself sitting on my knees on the ground next to our coach. I rise to my feet.  
  
"What the heck's wrong with you today, Somersby?! Get your ass up to the top of that pyramid this instant! I don't care if you have a fear of heights - cure it!"  
  
I shake my head, suddenly getting the feeling of déja vu. Pressing the heel of a hand to my eye in an attempt to ease the pain of an oncoming migraine, I glance around to confirm it. As I look up at the height of my awaiting platform, I get a sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach as though I'm about to make a grave mistake, although I'm not sure what. Yet, like the imbecile I am (as I'm sure you're probably acutely aware by now), I still go, racing up the side to reach my goal. Just as I brush the tip of it, I see an intense light open up in front of me like a door, my forward momentum not allowing me to stop until I collide with it. And --  
  
-- I'm laying stomach down on the football field, mouth full of grass. Crawling onto my knees, I stare at my hands as though they're holding flesh and gore and I carefully inspect my entire body looking for God knows what - a hole maybe.  
  
"Are you all right?" I lurch away from the hand placed on my shoulder. It's Jean. Who else? Shocked, all I can do is stare at her before gaining awareness of everyone else crowding around. The football team is pressing in from the left as the cheerleaders hone in on the right.  
  
"What's wrong with your eyes?" Emily asks.  
  
"Yeah, they're, like, a really pale gray. Almost translucent," Kitty adds. I look around at everyone, suddenly realizing that they seem to be moving in slow motion as I drift into a fog. Then, instantly, everything resumes its normal pace when I'm jolted out of the trance by someone shouting.  
  
"What the hell?"  
  
Coach enters the center of the huddled group. Nobody moves to give her room. If anything, they all press in tighter, making me feel as if I'm claustrophobic. I look from one to the other, ears picking up on whispered catches:  
  
"Dirty mutant."  
  
"Mutie."  
  
"What is she?"  
  
"Oh my gawd? Like, what the heck just happened?"  
  
The latter of which I would like to know myself. I see the tides of curiosity quickly turn to accusing glares from people that I've known all my life: Emily, Todd, the coach - the list goes on and on. Tears spring to my eyes and I hurl myself to my feet. Pausing for just a few seconds, I make eye contact once more with Jean. The edges of my vision are growing foggy again. Unable to handle all of it any longer, I turn on my heel and sprint away, unsure of where I'm going. 


	3. Confusion, etc

DISCLAIMER: Etc., etc. I think you know what I'm gonna say. Although I have tried long and hard (not!) I do not own the X-men and probably never will. Thank you and good night.  
  
~~~~~~  
  
My eyesight is still messed up I realize as I run drunkenly across the grass towards the parking lot. I don't know where to go - I can't go home right now. I just can't. Not when my parents are home and where people will know to reach me. I stumble and suddenly, I see a jeep driving towards the football field - but that's not the weird thing. What is, is that I see an identical jeep several seconds, minutes, whatever later. Right in front of me, or more accurately, where it's going to be - on top of me.  
  
At the current moment in time, I feel like shit and I really don't care if it hits me, but for some reason my body slows on its own accord. Which is good, I guess because I'm not flattened into road kill. But I still don't feel very good as I slam into the dark green hood of it as the brakes screech in protest. Surprised, as though I didn't expect it to hit me, I look up sharply into Lance's eyes. Pietro is sitting next to him, gripping the windshield frame in earnest.  
  
The impact is enough to jar my eyes back into 'normal' mode and a look of shock covers Lance's face as he watches them swirl from gray to violet. Pietro doesn't see, he's looking at Kitty as she runs towards the jeep, no doubt eager to spread the word of what happened. Jean's following close behind.  
  
I push off the hood and turn so hard over my left shoulder that I spin out of control and land on my butt, ungracefully. But I'm not stopped so easily. Seeing that they're quickly covering ground, I jump back up and dash off across the street. Behind me I hear shouts as Lance and the others call for Pietro to come back. Which means that he's now chasing me. Great. How can I outrun him? The fastest guy on the basketball team, for cripe's sake! What's wrong with me? The hottest guy in the universe is chasing me and I'm running away. Am I taking drugs, or what?  
  
Up ahead I can just make out a bench, sitting forlorn in the darkening sky. A street lamp turns on next to it as dusk approaches. As soon as it comes into my line of vision, I feel the weight of my sprint settling on my body like a sledgehammer. I'm so tired. A quick glance over my shoulder confirms that Pietro is still there, gaining on me rapidly, appearing as if he's not tired at all, simply not going his top speed. I groan and unexpectedly have an idea.  
  
Quickly, my eyes shift back to the lucid gray and I view myself sitting on that bench several minutes from now as my hands form a swirling ball. I toss it upward into the air, ahead just a little so that when it falls back down, it lands on top of me --  
  
-- and here I am, sitting on the bench under the streetlight. Upon careful observation, I verify that Pietro has not left yet, but he is really far behind. It's almost as if I stepped through time and left everything else the way it was. Sighing, I lean back and wait for him to catch up. I don't really want to talk to him, but I figure if I'm stopped anyway, then why not.  
  
"Hey, what's wrong?" I jump in my seat, eyes flying back open. I guess I dozed off, but a glimpse of my watch displays the time as having not passed at all. I look at him as if he's crazy.  
  
"How'd you get here so fast?" He lets out a breath, shoving his hands in his pockets, then moves to join me on the bench.  
  
"I'm a mutant."  
  
"What?!" I pitch to my feet, staring at him. I cannot believe this.  
  
"I'm a mutant. I can run and move at extraordinary speeds. What about you?" He looks at me as if we are having the most normal conversation in the world. Glancing left and right in disbelief, I finally decide to take him seriously and start to sit back down. Then he stands. "Codename's Quicksilver. Do you have one?"  
  
"No!" I cry. "I'm not even a mutant!" Yeah, I know it's a lie, but hey, would you admit you were to someone you don't even know?  
  
"That's not what I heard from several reliable people. Not to mention what I just saw. No one can outrun me. Especially by that great a distance."  
  
"Fine," I huff. "I can...see time and pass through it."  
  
"Can't we all?" I give him a dirty look and he shuts up with the sarcastic remarks. "Sorry." I turn to leave. "Don't go."  
  
"Why?" He stares at his feet, then walks over to me. I stay, frozen in place as he moves to within an inch of my face. I can smell his cologne - a very nice scent for him, I might add. He places his hands on both of my biceps, rendering me unable to move away. I stare into his eyes, my own beginning to change back to gray.  
  
"What do you see happening between us?" he asks. Startled, I blink. Realizing he's serious, I glance around at the gorgeous twilight and twinkling stars, before back at him.  
  
"I...see you walking away from me..."  
  
"You mean I don't get to kiss you?" I look past him or, more likely, through him, not registering the comment.  
  
"You...leave..." I squint my eyes in pain from the effort. "...because of something I say." Shaking my head, my vision returns to normal and I suddenly take into account what I'd seen and said. And I smile. "I guess you were too afraid to act on your feelings for me."  
  
He looks as if he's been slapped across the face, he's so hurt. He takes a step back from me.  
  
"Well, if that's what you think, fine." He pivots on his heel and strides away, before, mid-stride, stopping. He turns back around and faces me with a strange look across his face. "It's not destiny. I can change it." I just look at him. And he jogs back over, grabbing me in his arms as he forces his lips onto mine. I gasp, surprised, yet somewhat pleased.  
  
Pulling back, he gazes at me, still encasing me in his well-muscled (like the rest of his body) arms.  
  
"See." Indeed, I do. Stunned, I stand there like I'm deaf and dumb, frozen in the last obtained position. He smiles and leans towards me again. Jolting, I push him away.  
  
"No." And I turn and sprint off again. Only this time, he's right beside me, then ahead of me. I stop, my tennis shoes skidding on the dirt-covered asphalt of the park when I see him halted in front of me, arms folded across his chest. Quickly, I look behind me, then back to him.  
  
"What the...how the..?"  
  
"I told you - I'm a mutant." I feel faint. A little dizzy, too. A little too dizzy, too. My eyes roll back into my head as I begin to collapse onto the asphalt. Then, suddenly --  
  
-- My world goes black. 


	4. Wwwhat's going on?

DISCLAIMER: Although I have repetitiously attempted to gain control of the Marvel universe, at this time, I am currently unable to obtain ownership. Therefore, I am simply playing with their components and am content for now with just owning what's mine.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Owww.  
  
Slowly, gingerly, I lift an arm to my head, shielding my face from the bright light seeping in through the slits of my eyelids. My head is throbbing. Not so much painfully, though, as dizzying.  
  
Shifting ever so slightly, I allow myself to release a sigh of pleasure as I slide comfortably over silk sheets. Not wanting my dream to end, but still immensely curious, I open my eyes, taking in the view as I sit up, leaning against the headboard.  
  
"Wow." The short, staccato word unpleasantly ruins the enchanting moment when I first take note of my current environment. The entire room is lavishly decorated with gold and other elegant ornamentations, tall windows allowing the dazzling sunlight streaming through to shimmer along the glittering surfaces. The high ceiling slopes to a cherry double-door. Already immense, the room appears even larger with the height of it. Off to the side is another door, open, leading to a bathroom.  
  
Suddenly feeling kind of grungy, I slip quietly off the bed and pad barefoot to the shower. I'm slightly embarrassed to discover that I'm only wearing underwear. I wonder what happened to the rest of my clothes. One foot inside the glass door, I pause, noticing the closet. I shrug and go to steal something to wear when I get out - only to find that the walk- in is completely empty! Huffing, I whirl back around and stalk into the stall, turning the water on full blast, expecting to be burned.  
  
Ahhh! It's freezing cold! Shocked, I fling my hands up in an attempt to stop the ice water from touching my goose-bumping skin. I hear a ploop sound. And another. And another. I open my eyes and look up.  
  
Oh, shit. Dozens of those familiar looking itty bitty balls that I've been acquainting myself with are flying out of my fingertips and bouncing off the ceiling. I inhale sharply, preparing myself when --  
  
-- the freezing blast of water hits me again --  
  
-- and again --  
  
--and again --  
  
-- and again --  
  
-- and again. I scream, simultaneously flinging an arm out to slide the glass plating out of the way so I can escape. It slams into its stopper with the force and shatters as I fall into a pile of its pieces. I blink, feeling faint, and attempt to push myself up in the shards, tiny beads of blood spattering in different directions. My eyes swirl to grey as I slowly recover and digest what just went on.  
  
I can hear my heart beat as everything slows down and I study my surroundings. My eyes widen when I see the amount of blood spilt from collision. I hear a soft, whooshing sound as the remainder of those murderous orbs fulfill their purpose and fizzle out. At the door, I witness the blond girl from school, Tabitha, and Wanda flinging themselves into the doorway. Off to my other side, I hear a marble rolling across the tile. Wait - a marble!  
  
I reel around, the fog lifting just in time for the sphere to touch my skin, emitting a bright flash of light before --  
  
-- I'm falling again! I crash to the ground, slamming the side of my head into the splinters once more. Someone on my blind side grabs my arm and rolls me over while someone else throws a towel over my bare body. I shiver and convulse once, cringing. Painful tears begin to stream down my cheeks. I know they saw almost everything. Together, they lift me up and carry me back to the bed.  
  
They set me down gently on the softness, but it still hurts and my mind shrieks in agony. I glance down at the visible part of my skin and nearly pass out at the size of some of the pieces emerging from my flesh. Tabitha stands off to the side, cursing under her breath as she holds a pile of towels, watching with concern as Wanda pulls up a chair next to the headboard. She's holding tweezers. Shit.  
  
I howl.  
  
The bedroom is soon flooded with spectators, most of whom look vaguely familiar, but they don't register in my preoccupied mind.  
  
"What happened?" someone asks, shouting with worry.  
  
"Aghh!" I yell as Wanda wrenches yet another, good-sized sliver out. Bits of skin and blood still cling to it. I feel like I'm going to puke.  
  
"You'll never get them all out!" I recognize the voice as that of Pietro's. Why are all these people here? Where is here? I'm so confused! "We've gotta get her to the hospital!"  
  
"Are you nuts!" I sense a low rumbling below the bed like an earthquake. "They'll find out she's a mutant and who knows what'll happen then!"  
  
"Well what are we going to do?!"  
  
"Got it." Wanda grits her teeth as she gains a good grip on the last visible chunk. Uh, oh. That means next comes under the towel. I hope she has the sense to get rid of these guys first. Owww!!! I ball my fists and pound them into the mattress, raising my back from the linens by a few inches as the glass comes out.  
  
"Whoa. What the hell is that?" I open my tightly shut eyes and see an orb materialize above me and make its decent.  
  
"No!!!" I shout.  
  
"Fuck!!!" Wanda and Tabitha shout.  
  
"What!?!" Everyone else shouts.  
  
It lands. --  
  
-- Everyone is silent, waiting. They let out a collective sigh of relief once they realize whatever was to occur has already happened. Wanda moves to continue plucking the additions out. She gasps.  
  
"They're gone!"  
  
I peek. She's right. Every speck of blood and every flake of glass has vanished. My heart is racing and I heave, exhausted. My eyelids flutter as I noticeably relax, tension flowing from my self.  
  
It's over. 


	5. Where? Who? How?

DISCLAIMER: As previously stated, I do not own X-men or any other part of Marvel and am not making any money off of this production. If I were, it would probably be going back into Marvel anyway in an attempt to buy them out with profits from their own components. As it stands, the only thing I do own are my ideas and my character, Kiera.  
  
~~~~~~  
  
For several forlorn seconds, I simply lie where I was throughout the entire ordeal and concentrate on breathing methodically. In, out. In, out. As soon as it was established that the crisis was over, the crowd of familiar-looking teenagers began to dissipate. Out of the corner of my eye, I recognize Pietro and Lance, but there are a few other faces I can't put names to although I have seen them before. As they trail out the door, I take notice of someone tall and dark standing in the shadowed corner by the door. I move to a position in which I can freely stare without it being too noticeable.  
  
The woman steps out of the darkness and promptly exits the room. I gasp in shock at her indigo skin. Wanda and Tabitha don't even see her.  
  
"Hey, we, um, were washing your clothes for you and they kind of, well, had an accident..." Tabitha trails off.  
  
"Yeah," Wanda laughs. "They exploded with a bunch of marbles! Good going Boom-boom!" She smirks as Tabitha chases her around the room once before turning the tables and shooting red fireworks at her attacker. Playfulness almost entirely gone in her eyes. Tabitha shrieks and bounces onto the bed next to me. I sit there with a look of complete shock and surprise at the crimson sparks spitting from Wanda's fingers.  
  
"What the..."  
  
"Relax, Kay," she says, rolling her eyes and popping her bubblegum. "We're all mutants here. Yeah, even you. We all know." I'm totally speechless, mouth agape, trying to find words. There's no denying it. "I'm Scarlet Witch - at least, when I'm using my powers. You got a name?"  
  
"Umm... No..."  
  
"Anyway, if you need to borrow some clothes - which you do - you can have some of mine. Come on!" Tabitha literally drags me off the bed and halfway across the room before I can gain control of my limbs and the escaping towel.  
  
Barely in the nick of time, I manage to wrap it around me as she flings the doors open and marches down the hall past several rooms with occupants to another large room. As we pass an open doorway, someone whistles gallingly at us.  
  
"Woohoo! Lose the towel, princess!"  
  
"Yeah, baby!"  
  
I stop in the hallway and turn slowly to see who is so candidly complimenting me. Lance and some guy who has the appearance of a disgusting frog wave at me from their perch on a bed. Pietro is sitting on a pile of pillows with them, a hand covering his face. I raise an eyebrow and rush to catch up with Tabitha, who is now contenting herself with throwing various articles of clothing at me.  
  
"Hurry up, chick! We're gonna be late for school if you don't get dressed now! Here, wear this skirt and these shirts." She playfully tosses a pair of chunky black shoes at me as I struggle to dress.  
  
"You know, I don't feel so good..." My knees buckle and I collapse in a heap, struggling to comprehend why my muscles don't seem to be cooperating. Jeez, I can't even control my own body. How am I supposed to handle a mutant power? What else is going to be thrown at me in the next twenty-four hours?  
  
"Come on, Kiera. You can't stay here all day with Blob." Who? She continues without picking up on my confusion. "The only way you're gonna get control is by not letting it take over you. Now let's get outta here and prove to it who's boss." She grabs me by the elbow and yanks me out the door, down the stairs, out the exit, and into a certain green jeep that almost pulverized me just, what, yesterday? Tooting the horn twice, the rest of the groupies come barreling out the door and shove themselves in wherever they can fit. We fly down the driveway, a trail of little time bubbles popping behind us with my fright.  
  
"Wow, I thought I knew Chicago like the back of my hand," I shout above the blaring radio and whistling wind, "but I have absolutely no idea where we are."  
  
She slams the brakes on at an intersection and they all turn to stare at me.  
  
"You're not in Kansas anymore, Toto." Frog-boy snickers at me.  
  
"Shut up, Todd," Lance backhands him. "She doesn't know."  
  
"Know what?" I ask, frustrated.  
  
Pietro leans over the back seat and looks me directly in the eye. "We're not in Chicago anymore. We're in Bayville. New York." I stare at him in disbelief, but remain silent. Tabitha turns to the left when the light turns green and the next thing I know, we're parking in front of a high school. Sure enough, Bayville Community High. I swallow. My mouth feels like cotton.  
  
How is it possible we're all in New York all of a sudden, going to a different school? I mean, all these people that I was going to school with... All these people I'd seen in passing over the summer... It's not adding up.  
  
I have no choice but to follow them up the steps and wonder about this new foreboding structure. My heart starts racing and I'm beginning to weaken again. Why couldn't I have just stayed at the house? I just got through a life-or-death experience and I have no time to reflect on it? What is going on!!!  
  
"Here, I'll come with you to administration. We may have some classes together. You never know. I mean, I heard you were pretty smart." I jolt out of my reverie as I focus in on Pietro's features. "This way."  
  
He opens the door to the office and waits for me to enter. I take one last glance at my new surroundings in an attempt to accept it and see -  
  
- Jean! And...and Kitty! What the......... How the...  
  
Pietro grabs my arm and guides me up to the front desk.  
  
"Good morning. I take it you're a new student?" she continues as I nod my head. "Your name please."  
  
"Kiera Somersby."  
  
"Oh! Yes, we've been expecting you." I catch Pietro's eye as I open my mouth in astonishment to ask her about that, but he shakes his head. "Here's your schedule. Your first class is down the hall to the left. Have Pietro here show you where it is. He's such a good boy." She smiles sweetly at us and Pietro's entire head, neck and all, turns bright red. I grin. "Hope you have a good season this year!" She calls to our backs.  
  
"Wow, you must be pretty good at basketball for people to recognize you in two different cities." He laughs despite his recent embarrassment.  
  
"You don't even know the half of it." He motions to my classroom. "Here you go. See ya at lunch." He winks and walks farther down, disappearing into another room. I stare at his back until he's gone, then turn to go in. To Health. I can't escape it, no matter what school I go to. I sigh and resign myself.  
  
I take one step into the room and freeze. The class turns to gaze at me as I hand the teacher my 'tardy' slip. My back heats up with all the stares and I gulp my nervousness down.  
  
"Ah, yes. Class, this is our new student, Kiera Somersby. Please welcome her to our school." Jeez, how embarrassing. "Have a seat next to Rahne, over there." I suck in a breath and march to the designated desk.  
  
"Nice to see you again." I say curtly, then turn to face the chalkboard and don't move my line of vision for the rest of the class. 


	6. Realization and Curious Occurence

DISCLAIMER: I do not own anything created by Marvel for their universe. I do, however, own my character – created for **my** universe.

Well, I sat through my first hour class – that should count for something. But, as I walk into the restroom on my way to second, I decide that I don't like school. (Imagine that!). I mean, why should I have to waste seven hours of my day when I've got the power to control time. If you think about it, if I skip to the end of the day, in which theoretically I went to all my classes – would I not be that much smarter anyway?

It's just a theory, though, so as I lock the door to a stall I decide to skip to lunch instead.

ploop! Oh, god. I hope no one thinks I'm taking a shit --

-- "Hurry up, Keira! Wanda's not going to save us seats," Tabitha calls. I blink, shaking off a feeling of vertigo.

"Go ahead without me. I have to go to the attendance office, anyway."

"Alright. Ciao." I hear the restroom door click shut and I cautiously step out of the stall. Glancing at the clock above the mirrors, I take note that three hours have passed in a single second. I find myself thinking about how cute my algebra teacher was before I catch myself.

I didn't go to Algebra. I smile. My 'master plan' appears to have worked. Just to be certain, I go to the office anyway.

"Yes, hi. My name's Kiera Somersby. My teacher last hour said he accidentally marked me absent – he told me to let you know that I've been here all day."

"Ah, yes. Keira," the secretary smiled at me as her fingers flew over the keyboard. "Well, the files say you've been here all day... Oh, wait, it says you missed third hour for a doctor's appointment."

"Oh, yeah. That's right." I grin sheepishly, although I'm confused. Why would I have a doctor's appointment when I just got here? Not to mention I don't even remember it...

"Yes, Mrs. Walton," a feminine voice behind me states. "I was here when she came in. Mrs. Barymone signed her in."

"Thank you, dears. Have a nice day." She turns away.

I go to push open the glass door to exit and discover it's already being held for me by the girl who'd spoken up – Jean. I grit my teeth, nod, and proceed through. She falls into step beside me.

"Um. Kiera." I shift my eyes to her for an instant, acknowledging her presence. "I know we got off to a bad start, but I was wondering... Would you like to come over after school today?" No, absolutely not. She rushes on, "There's going to be a group of people – we're gonna have a cookout and –"

"Why should I?!" I burst out, fed up. "You know as well as I that my entire life was just majorly sidetracked and transplanted here! Now, if you think –"

"Okay, okay! Relax! God, if you don't even let me finish... god!" She hisses in a breath, then quickly lets it out, regaining composure. I walk in silence, angry at being berated.

Up ahead I see Pietro and Lance and quicken my pace, desperate to get away from my stalker. Lance takes a step back from the coke machine and I glimpse Kitty as well. Damn. Jean grabs my arm, effectively stopping my rapid forward progression.

"Look. If you want any answers, you'll come. Scott and I'll wait for you out front." And with that, she left me, still wondering who the hell Scott is.

Fatigued from my earlier exertions, all I can do is wait.


	7. Hmmm

It's the end of the school day and I can barely drag myself through the hallways. My body feels like it is becoming paralyzed and yet it still follows every command. After Jean left me, I was too exhausted to travel through time to somewhere else. Now, I just feel like fast forwarding to a time when I don't feel this bad. I feel stoned and teachers standing in their doorways look at me like they think I am, but are afraid to turn me in and ruin my high school career.

I shuffle clumsily down about half the stone steps in front of the school before I plop down and just sit, trying to regain some strength. I rest my head on my knees, then peek up briefly to see Jean and Scott waiting, as promised, in a bright red convertible. They're pretending not to notice me as they converse, killing time to see what I do.

"Hey, Kiera, are you coming?" Pietro calls as he jogs past with Lance and Tabitha.

"Uh, yeah," I answer, shoving myself unsteadily to my feet. They continue on ahead without so much as a pause to wait for me. I think I'll just let them bring the jeep around. Slowly, I descend another step and swallow hard as another wave of nausea floods over me. I crash to my knees, which hurts like hell since I'm on concrete stairs, and attempt to brace my fall with my hands. I can tell I'm about to hurl and I heave once trying to keep it down.

Oh, god. - anything to get away from here. I can see out the corner of my eye that Jean and Scott have opened the doors of the car and are now standing, trying to see if I'm alright. I shift my weight to my left hand and fumble with my right, struggling vainly to form a now familiar marble of light, but to no avail. Only the transparent outline of an amethyst sphere flickers a moment and then dies before it can become solid. I can't force myself to concentrate; my head keeps swirling. I heave again, choking.

"Kiera!"

My eyes roll back in my head for an instant and then refocus as I discern two strong hands lifting me from the ground and steadying me with the help of two more. Absently, I wonder where Lance is with the jeep and why they don't come get me and take me home as I am helped into the backseat of the convertible.

"No..." I moan quietly, curling up. I wince as a sharp pain fleetingly stabs between my eyes.

"Is she going to be okay?" Jean asks worriedly.

"I don't know. We've got to get her to the professor – fast!"

"I wish Kurt were here. He could save us the extra ten minutes of driving."

"Don't worry. Professor X will know what to do and – What's wrong with her!" He whirls around briefly in time to see me convulse, then has to redirect his attention to the road. I hiss in a breath – my skull feels like it's on fire and my body isn't getting enough oxygen. Every vein in my body is screaming for air and constricting as if they can force me to breath deeper instead of shallower.

"Oww..." Jean can clearly see unmasked fear in my eyes as I lock them with hers. She shifts so that she's leaning over the back rest and brushes my forehead lightly with her fingertips. She winces.

"We're almost there. Everything will be alright. We have medical equipment to help you. Hang on..." Her words meld together and become indiscernible as I shriek once in agony and throw out a violent orb of deep violet light. Why it is no longer white, I cannot say, but a second later, all I see is a bright flash and then nothing.

The darkness engulfs me. I should be afraid still. But I'm not. After all, I no longer feel that blinding, searing pain in my head. Instead I feel... content. Peaceful. And, in some strange way, happy. It's almost as though I'm experiencing a past feeling – a memory. I relax into it, surprised when the ebony fog begins to lift.

A bright, fluid whiteness surrounds me – or my ethereal self anyway – and replaces the black. The sensation is not unlike floating up from the depths of murky waters. Shortly, the dark is simply part of the past, not a trace left.

I stand – although it feels like floating – alone in the vastness. There are no walls, no floor, no ceiling, no door. Not even a corner to huddle in, creating the false pretense of safety. I feel exposed, as though standing naked for all the world to see. And yet, I am utterly alone. Isolated. The concept does nothing for my once calmed nerves. I begin to panic and so, I start to walk.

I have no idea where I'm going. I just have the need to do something, to move about – anything – to keep my mind off of what is happening. I have no idea why I am here. In fact, most of my memories seem to be vanishing. One by one. As soon as I think of something, the notion is swiftly whisked away to the darkened abyss I previously exited. My sanity is on the brink of destruction as I wonder if they will be lost forever, leaving me to wander mindlessly here in empyreal form for all eternity.

Then, I run into a barrier. Not visible, of course, but still there in all its camouflaged whiteness. I can tell by the way my face is smashed against it. So there are limits here. Does that not also mean there would be a way out? There must be! Even the Château d'If had an escape route. Encouraged, I begin to explore the wall with my fingertips.

"Hello?"

"Eep!" I shriek, whirling and pressing my back against the wall, startled.

PLOOP! A tiny purple sphere falls to the ground, jettisoned from my palm as I bring my hand up to survey from where the word came. It hits the ground and lingers for an instant before being absorbed in the milky light.

"Ma chère, are you alright? What brings you to this humble abode?"


End file.
